


Blade in Hand

by BibliovoreOrc



Category: Magic: The Gathering (Card Game)
Genre: Fantasy, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:08:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23360707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BibliovoreOrc/pseuds/BibliovoreOrc
Summary: The quality of the sword matters less than the skill of the hand that holds it.
Kudos: 3





	Blade in Hand

“It’s not balanced,” Kett said.

I glanced up from stropping my ax. “What’s that?” I said.

Kett – the new squire – was holding my seax in one hand, her brows scrunched-up as she shifted her palm on the grip. “It’s not balanced,” she said again.

“No,” I said. “It’s not. The handle’s at an angle to the blade.”

Kett bounced the seax in one hand, trying to get a feel for it. Then she made three quick strokes, cleaving pantomime goblins in two.

That was a severe breach of protocol, for a squire to swing her captain’s blade, and I made a note to address it later.

“It pulls right,” Kett said, her strokes cutting the air.

“Yes,” I said. “On the downcut. It pulls to the right.”

“Who would forge an unbalanced blade?” Kett said.

“A bad smith,” I said.

“But why would you own such a blade?” Kett said, and I laughed.

“Because I wasn’t always a captain,” I said. “You may find this hard to believe, but those fine bladesmiths haven’t always been happy to take my commission.”

“Who made it then?”

“Haven’t the faintest,” I said. “I got it from a Drakeston pawner. Traded a horse for it when I was nine.”

“You traded a whole horse?” Kett said, looking skeptical. “For this?” She held up the seax.

“I did,” I said. “It was a good horse, too.”

“Then you got fleeced.”

I shrugged, and said: “The horse wasn’t mine.”

Kett looked aghast. I waved it off.

“Like I said, I wasn’t always a captain.”

“Still,” Kett said.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “My morals have improved since then. On the margins, at least.” And I smiled.

“Seems a bit plain for a captain,” Kett said, eyeing the crudely-wrought pommel.

“They don’t give out ribbons on the battlefield to the one with the fanciest kit,” I said. “The winner’s the woman left standing, and she gets her pick of the gear.”

“But you didn’t,” Kett said. “Have your pick, I mean. You kept this old thing. You kept it all these years.”

“Yes,” I said. “I did.”

And I motioned for Kett to hand me the seax, which she did, blade-end first. Another faux pas.

“I know this blade,” I said, feeling the familiar sharkskin beneath my grip. “I know it, and it knows me. We’ve shed blood together.” _So much blood,_ I could’ve said, but didn’t. “I learned to fight with this sword in my hand. Learned to kill, to survive. I’m used to it. I know what it does, and it does what I want.”

“But you could get a new one,” Kett said. “Have an exact copy made, only straight. Or have a smith pound the angle out.”

I laughed.

“I could,” I said, “but I wouldn’t know what to do with it then. Put a balanced seax in my hand, and I’ll pull it left on the downcut.”

“What am I to do, then?” Kett said, the frustration plain on her face. “I’m your squire, now, aren’t I? I’m supposed to see to your kit.”

I handed the seax to Kett – handle first.

“Keep it sharp,” I said. “Keep it sharp, and we’ll do just fine.”

“Yes, captain,” Kett said, and set to whetting the seax with commendable pluck.

I watched her work, and said to myself: _I’ll make a veteran of you yet._

**Author's Note:**

> Magic: The Gathering is the property of Wizards of the Coast. This is a transformative work of fanfiction, protected in the United States under the laws of Fair Use.
> 
> All works copyright their respective creators.


End file.
